The Truth is Before Me"
by Amaterasu Rising
Summary: The third installment of this JAJRN takes a look at Jamie Fauntleroy, the son of Jessie and James. Will his parents be able to hide the sad truth behind the picture of a bright future, or will lies destroy them all? Find out in “The Truth Is Before Me
1. Meet the Day

The third installment of this JAJRN takes a look at Jamie Fauntleroy, the son of Jessie and James. Will his parents be able to hide the sad truth behind the picture of a bright future, or will lies destroy them all? Find out in "The Truth Is Before Me".  
  
The Truth Is Before Me  
  
[Author's notes in brackets]  
  
by Tap M.  
  
Jessie Fauntleroy was filling cardboard boxes with china while on the first floor of the grand house she shared with her husband James and newborn son, Jamie. The decision to move away had come with great pain and stress, but it was imperative to Jamie's well being to leave Viridian City. They would have to abandon the luxury that was customary to them. Their empire was built on corruption, evil and greed. Even though she and James had followed that path, they wanted to give Jamie a clean slate to work with. Nothing was more important to them than their beloved son; not their vast fortune, not their success, not their status as the most powerful heads of the most powerful evil organization in the world. She was going to miss that clout she had as President of Team Rocket. She cast her gaze at little Jamie, who was reclining in his baby swing. He was laughing that great gurgly baby laugh. "My sweet baby," she said, lifting him out of the swing. She cuddled him. She heard a commotion outside. Ever since she and James announced that they had resigned, there was an angry mob outside their house twenty-four hours a day. Some of the mob was comprised of Rocket grunts, angry because their departure meant Team Rocket was handed over to Gianna Torres, the illegitimate daughter of Giovanni Noire, the former leader of Team Rocket who was currently serving time in Indigo Maximum Security Prison. From what Jessie understood, Gianna was just as cruel and ruthless as her father. The rest of the crowd was the media. They were frothing at the mouth over this. Not much had happened news-wise in Viridian until this. They huddled around the house, hoping for a sound byte, a quote, anything they could use to make a story. She stood on her toes to peer out the peephole on the front door. Sure enough, the mob was still camped out on the lawn. Suddenly, there was bedlam. Screaming and shoving ensued. "Stop it," someone shouted. "Please, leave me alone. Get off me! Jessie!"  
  
Jessie secured Jamie in his baby swing and threw open the door to see James in the middle of the throng, people pulling on him, pushing, stomping, yelling. "Help," James yelled.  
  
Jessie fought through to her husband's rescue. She fended the mob off with a roll of masking tape she had in her hand. She managed to catch James' arm and pull him inside. She slammed the door and locked it. James's clothes were torn, his arm was cut, and there was already a bruise forming on his forehead. "James, what did they do to you," Jessie cried. She ran into the kitchen to retrieve a cold washcloth. She put it on his bruise.  
  
"I was bringing back some more boxes, but as I tried to get up the walk, the mob got a hold of me," he said. "I tried to get free, but they had me! Why is everyone in such a frenzy about all this?"  
  
"I don't know," Jessie sighed. "But it's okay that the boxes didn't survive. I think we have enough. All we need to pack is the rest of the china, and the linens on the first floor here. The moving vans are coming in the morning, aren't they?"  
  
"Yes," he replied. They had chosen to move to Azalea Town, a sleepy little town in Johto. Azalea was a million miles away from Viridian in every way; there, they could raise Jamie and live a peaceful, normal life. It wasn't too far away from the largest city in Johto, Goldenrod City, where they would work, but far away enough to be low-key.  
  
The vans arrived in the cool of the early morning. The movers loaded boxes onto the trucks quickly, and before long, Jessie and James were ready to close the book on this chapter of their lives. "This is it," James said quietly. His words echoed in the still dawn. He turned away to get in his car. He'd traded in his Ferrari for a Volkswagen Passat. No more fast cars, no more elaborate dinners, no more servants for them. They fastened Jamie in his car seat and drove to greet their new lives.  
  
Their house in Azalea was medium-sized, but it had a quaint charm. Jessie could see building a happy family within the walls. They stashed all the fine things they brought with them. Someday, when Jamie was old enough to understand, they'd explain it all to him, and leave their vast fortune to him. To avoid drawing attention to themselves, they would live within means-which meant a normal, humble lifestyle. They knew it would be hard to dodge the public eye, but they would behave like law-abiding citizens. No more acts of evil. They were everyday Joes and Janes now.  
  
The first few weeks of living in Azalea they got lots of "Hey, weren't you in Team Rocket?" and "Are you still evil?" They had no choice but to smile and explain that yes, they were once part of the corrupt operation, but now they had chosen to build a good life for their son, and put the past behind them. It was grueling.  
  
Life in the city was kinder to them. Most of Goldenrod was too busy to notice them. They relished going to work and leaving the unkind whispers of their neighbors behind. Jessie toted Jamie with her everywhere she went. Jamie, too, seemed to enjoy Goldenrod's bustle. He always had his eyes wide open, taking everything in. Jessie swore he was very smart. James was employed with First National Bank of Goldenrod as a financial consultant. Jessie's cutthroat business style had impressed the CEO of Goldenrod Department Store, so he added her to his staff of executives. They had soon built themselves a cozy niche.  
  
After a while, the residents of Azalea calmed down and accepted the Fauntleroys. This allowed Jamie to play with other kids in the neighborhood. His parents doted on him. He returned their great love. Anyone who had known them before the move wouldn't recognize them now. One day, on a day she had off from work, Jessie had taken Jamie into the city to shop for school clothes. He held his mother's hand as they walked down the crowded streets. They chattered back and forth about the upcoming school year. "Oops." Someone had bumped into Jessie. She drew back and looked at a tall dark-haired man with his daughter. "Oh, I'm sorry I bumped into you," he said. Why does he look so familiar, Jessie asked herself. The man noticed her peering at him. "Is there, uh, anything I can do for you," he asked uncertainly.  
  
"No," she said. "Come on, Jamie." She pulled him down the street. The man stood on the sidewalk, puzzled. I've got one for Misty, he thought. 


	2. Anything For You

"Mom, Mom," Jamie called as he banged through the front door after school one day. "Mom?" He looked up the stairs. 'MOM!"  
  
"What is it, Jamie," Jessie said, exasperated.  
  
"Mom, look!" He thrust a pamphlet at her. It was a Pokemon Technical information book. Jessie felt her heart drop. Don't tell me he wants to go, she prayed. "Mom, I have to go here," he pleaded. "It's so perfect for me! It's got everything! Please say I can!" He hopped up and down.  
  
"Oh, Jamie, I don't know," she said. What excuse can I give him? She racked her brain. I can't say we don't have the money, because we have enough to send him and ten other kids there. He'll get angry if I tell him it's too far away. He might think I treat him like a baby. Dammit, Jessie, think! "Dad!" Jamie ran to his father, who had just come in through the garage. "Look!"  
  
James eyed the pamphlet. His gaze met Jessie's over their son's head. His green eyes darkened with trepidation. "Dad, Pokemon Tech is everything I've always wanted! You always said you wanted the best for me. Well, isn't this the best," he challenged.  
  
"Jamie, I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that," James said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look, let Mom and I discuss it," he said. "Go start your homework, or play outside or something. Just give us a little time." Jamie shrugged and ran outside.  
  
"Oh, James, this is awful," Jessie said, covering her face with her hands. "This is karma biting us on the ass, isn't it?"  
  
James sank onto the couch. "There's no way he can get in, not after us," he said sadly. "They wouldn't allow it."  
  
"Oh, goodness," she said. "What can we do?" She looked at the ceiling for answers.  
  
"Why don't we try, Jess," he asked. "Maybe if we offered twice, or three times the tuition, they might let him in."  
  
She looked at him. "I guess it's worth a try."  
  
The next day, they met with the headmaster of Pokemon Tech. He had a thick folder on the desk in front of him. He wore a cold, hard expression. "So, you're telling me that you would pay the way for other students to attend my school so your son could attend as well," he said in a monotone voice.  
  
"Yes, sir, anything to get Jamie in," Jessie said.  
  
He chewed on it. Then he opened the folder and leafed through it. "Jessica Lewiston [I don't know what Jessie's last name was, so I just made one up]." He started to read from the folder. " 'Attended Pokemon Tech grades five through twelve, with a two-point-three grade point average. Did not pass exit exam, did not graduate. Scored a zero on exam. Dropped out.' James Fauntleroy. 'Attended Pokemon Tech grades one through twelve, with a two-point-two grade point average. Did not pass exit exam, did not graduate. Scored zero on exam. Dropped out.' "  
  
He looked at them. "The mediocre grades don't mean a thing here. How anyone could score a zero on the exit exam is beyond me, however. How can I be sure that your son won't fail like you two did? We don't tolerate such things here."  
  
James winced. Jessie's anger started to boil over. James sensed it and held her hand tight. "Sir, our son is a very brilliant, very determined, very pleasant little boy," James said.  
  
The headmaster stood up. "But I am intrigued by your generous offer," he said. "If we can use the funds you contribute to establish another scholarship, then I think I have no choice but to accept young James into Pokemon Tech."  
  
Jessie and James leaped out of their chairs. "Oh, thank you sir," Jessie said, shaking his hand vigorously.  
  
"But you must understand, he comes from poor stock," the headmaster went on. "Son of the infamous Team Rocket... His standards of behavior will be with the highest standings here. That means no chances, no excuses, and no tolerance for any kind of failure. He's going to have to be perfect, otherwise, he's out."  
  
Jessie and James looked at each other, shocked. "He's just a child," James said. His anger mirrored Jessie's. "That's too much for anyone to live up to, much less a twelve-year-old!"  
  
"You paved the path that he's forced to walk," the headmaster said coldly. "If you want him here, he must be perfect."  
  
Jessie and James stood frozen. The headmaster had a point. They could see Jamie's small face when he was pleading to go. Jessie remembered her face reflected in Jamie's emerald eyes. "Anything," she said quietly, hanging her head in defeat. "We'll do anything to get him here."  
  
Jamie bounced off the walls of the house when his parents told him the news. "Oh boy," he cried. "You guys are the best."  
  
They stood solemnly in front of him. "Jamie, you know that you have to get good grades and be a good boy, right," James said fearfully.  
  
"I'll get straight A-pluses! I'll be the best kid ever! I'm going to Pokemon Tech," he shouted.  
  
His parents hoped they did the right thing. 


	3. Friends?

The day came that Jamie was to begin school at Pokemon Tech. They drove to the train station in Goldenrod and took the Magnet Train to Saffron City. The school was situated near Cerulean City, just north of them. They hadn't been in Kanto for years. They feared that Jamie would remember something. Jamie was too busy bubbling about the school to notice a thing.  
  
The parking lot at the school was a mob scene. It was flooded with children and parents and luggage. The noise was unbearable. An administrator tried to yell above the din. "Would all students and parents with last names starting with the letters A through K come to the Dratini Hall for registration, please?"  
  
"K, that's us," a woman with red hair told her daughter and husband. The Fauntleroys fell in behind them. A long line had formed in the building called the Dratini Hall. The people poured out the door and into the lot. Jamie had started a conversation with the daughter of the couple in front of them. "Hi, I'm Jamie," he said, offering his hand.  
  
She shook it. "I'm Rosy," she replied. "This is my mom, and this is my dad." She gestured to a tall man with dark hair and the red-haired woman. They smiled.  
  
"That's my mom, and my dad," Jamie said, indicating Jessie and James. They nodded.  
  
"Next in line, please," someone called at the head of the line.  
  
"So, where are you from," Rosy asked. "I'm from New Bark."  
  
"Azalea. I've lived there all my life."  
  
"Cool. Have you been to Goldenrod?"  
  
"Yea, I go all the time."  
  
They talked back and forth as the line grew shorter in front of them. Their parents made small talk of their own. Soon, Rosy's family was at the head of the line. "Okay, Rosalin Hannah Ketchum," the headmaster of the school said. Jessie and James did a double take. The brats' kid goes here, they thought in unison.  
  
Rosy stepped up to meet him. "Hello, young lady, and welcome to Pokemon Tech," the headmaster said, shaking her hand. "Here's your student handbook. It contains rules, regulations, grading policies, everything you need to know to be a success here at the Tech. This," he said, piling her with papers. "Is your room information. You're staying in the Jynx house, on floor C. Roommate information is posted on the first floor of the house. You will get your books on Sunday, so you can have them when class starts on Monday. Here's your schedule. And if you have any questions, all the teachers and administrators here have an open door policy. You can always talk to us about anything. Absolutely anything," he said, eyeing Jamie. "Enjoy your year at the Tech." Rosy headed off to get settled, calling over her shoulder, "Bye, Jamie! I'll see you around."  
  
He waved. "James Lloyd Fauntleroy II." The headmaster stared at Jamie long and hard. "Here's your information," he said, dumping a stack of papers in his arms unceremoniously. "Next."  
  
Jessie and James hurried Jamie away. "Mom, he was mean," Jamie said, confused and hurt. "You think he doesn't like me?"  
  
It's starting already, Jessie thought in despair. "No, honey, he's probably just stressed out," she lied. "He's got a whole school full of students to meet today. You understand, don't you?"  
  
He nodded, but he still looked hurt. His hurt melted when he entered his living quarters. He was in the Tauros building, and his roommate was a thirteen-year-old, Derek Foster, from Fuschia City. He liked poison Pokemon the best, "Just like Janine from the Gym," he explained. He and Jamie hit it off and became fast friends.  
  
Jessie and James got letters from Jamie every week. He spoke about class some, but mostly his friends. "Rosy and Derek are my best buds here," one letter read. "Rosy is a great trainer. Did you know her dad was the Pokemon League Champion? Isn't that cool? Rosy can be anyone here. She even beat one of our professors. They say she's going to be just like her dad."  
  
"Well, it seems he's having a great time," James said, reading the letter.  
  
"I can't wait to see him," Jessie said. "Just a month until Christmas break."  
  
The countdown to the holiday had begun. Jessie and James decided to drive up to the Tech and take Jamie out to dinner and a movie for Thanksgiving, for it was too far to bring him home and then turn around and drive back in one weekend. That meant they'd have to wait for a month to see him at home. At the Tech, Jamie was getting good grades, winning battles, and hanging out more and more with Derek and Rosy. One day, shortly after the first snow, Jamie and Rosy were walking through one of the fields after classes. They were talking about Pokemon when Rosy stopped short. "What is it," Jamie asked.  
  
She looked at her galoshes. The snow fell softly onto her raven hair. Her face was bright red, from the cold, Jamie figured. "Jamie, we're all gonna be going home tomorrow, and be home for almost a month," she said shyly. "You're almost my best friend here at the tech. I- I just wanted to give you something." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a Pokeball. She handed it to him. He opened it and out popped her Seadra.  
  
"What," Jamie said, astonished. "This is your best Pokemon! Why are you giving it away?"  
  
"You always said you liked it," she explained. "Plus, my uncle Brock could breed me another one. It's no biggie."  
  
He smiled. "Thanks." He put the ball in his bag.  
  
"Actually, I wanted to give you something else, but I chickened out," she said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek quickly. Jamie looked at her. He could see his reflection in her dark eyes. She smiled, then, turned and ran. Jamie chased after her. "Why are you running," he called. She just kept her head down and flew like the wind. He stopped and sat on the snow. He didn't get a chance to talk to her before all the parents arrived at the Tech. He decided against telling his parents about Rosy's kiss. On the way home from the train station, he took the Pokeball out of his bag and looked at it. He could see his face in it. Why did she run, he thought.  
  
"What's that," Jessie asked from the front seat.  
  
"Rosy gave it to me," he said. "Look." He opened the ball to show his mother the Seadra.  
  
"That's quite a gift," James said, looking at him in the rear-view mirror. "Sure this girl's not just a friend?"  
  
Jessie elbowed him. "Stop it James," she chided. "They're just children."  
  
Maybe not, Jamie thought, watch the landscape pass by through the window.  
  
[My apologizes about the previous scene. I started the scene while listening to "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak and finished it while listening to "Boys of Summer" by Don Henley. Listen to those two songs while reading this scene, and maybe you'll feel the way I do about this scene. Thanks.] 


	4. Gray Christmas

The Fauntleroys' Christmas celebrations were very merry now that Jamie was home. The family decorated the tree, made snowmen, baked Christmas cookies, went caroling, but, at the end of the day, Jamie's mind came back to Rosy. He examined every corner of his mind trying to make sense of it all. Rosy was the first girl who ever kissed him. And she was the first girl he didn't think of as a girl-that is, totally gross. She was his best friend. He liked her, and he liked her. It confused him to think about what the kiss was about. Why did she kiss him? Did she like him? If she liked him, why did she run away? He finally got tired of thinking and went to his father. He was at the top of a ladder in the front yard, struggling with a tangled cord of Christmas lights. "Dad," he called up the ladder. "Can I talk to you?"  
  
"Sure, Jamie, hang on a sec," James said. He tossed the lights on the roof and descended the ladder. "What's up?"  
  
Jamie looked down. "You know Rosy?"  
  
"Yes." James' eyes lit up. "You like her, don't you?"  
  
"Yea. I need to tell her."  
  
"Call her up. Women like that," he advised.  
  
Jessie had pulled up in the Passat. "What do you know about women," she asked from the driveway.  
  
Sensing an argument, Jamie slipped away. He grabbed the phone and headed up to his room. He looked up Rosy's phone number in his book and dialed it. The phone rang, but no one answered. He threw the phone on his bed and flopped next to it. "I know, I'll go to her house," he said, jotting down her address. "Mom, I need a ride to New Bark Town," he announced as he pounded down the stairs. "Can you take me?"  
  
Jessie tied on her apron. "Not a chance," she said. "The Neumans are coming for dinner tonight. I have no time. If you can get back before dinner, ask your father. But if you can't make it for dinner, you're not going anywhere."  
  
He charged out the door into the yard, where his father was setting up plywood reindeer. "Dad, can you take me to New Bark Town, please," he pleaded.  
  
"No can do, kiddo," he said, wrestling the deer into place. "I've got too much here."  
  
"Man," he said, sitting on the fence.  
  
"Why don't you take the bus," James suggested. "Here." He dug in the pockets of his parka and came up with a handful of change. "Be back before dinner, or else we're both dead."  
  
"Thanks, Dad," he called, running to the bus stop. In no time, the bus came, and he was in New Bark. He searched for Birch Lane. "There it is!" He walked down Birch to Rosy's house. Something hard hit his back. He turned around to see Dallas Oak, son of Gary Oak and a classmate of his at the Tech, hurling stones at him. "What are you doing," he asked, shocked. "Quit it!"  
  
"Go back where you belong," Dallas called. "Your kind isn't welcome here."  
  
What the hell is he talking about, Jamie thought.  
  
More stones flew. "I said, leave," Dallas threatened. Jamie ignored him and walked to Rosy's front door. He knocked. Rosy's father answered.  
  
"Hi, Mr. Ketchum," he said. "My name's Jamie Fauntleroy. I go to school with Rosy. Is she here?"  
  
"No, I'm sorry," Ash said. "She went shopping with her mother. Can I leave her a message?"  
  
Jamie turned away. "No thanks," he muttered. "Merry Christmas, sir." Jamie raised his eyes to see a gang of boys headed by Dallas Oak before him. They formed a circle around him, taunting him. "What? You think Rosy Ketchum likes you," Dallas said. "If her father knew who you really were, he wouldn't let her see you. Ever." They threw more stones at him.  
  
"Hey," Ash yelled out the window at them. "Get out of here, you punks! Leave that kid alone. I'll call every one of your mothers."  
  
"Too bad, Fauntleroy," Dallas said, tripping him as he passed. "It would have been fun kicking your ass." They ran away.  
  
"Are you okay," Ash asked Jamie. Jamie shook his head and ran to the bus stop, tears streaming from his cheeks. What do they mean, his mind screamed as the bus lurched through the streets. 


	5. Torn Apart by the Truth

For the rest of vacation, Jamie sat in his room, heartbroken. Rosy hadn't called at all. Maybe Dallas Oak is right, he thought tearfully. Maybe she doesn't like me. But why?  
  
His parents worried about him endlessly. Their usually cheerful Jamie was now a gray, sad young man. They did everything they could think of to bring him out of his funk, but it was to no avail. To Jamie, every day was just another day, nothing more.  
  
Days passed, and soon it was time for classes to resume at the Tech. Once again, Jessie and James loaded up the car and made the trek to Cerulean. Jamie quietly retreated to his room. Derek Foster and three other boys were in it, looking at a copy of Pokemon World. They were talking but stopped when Jamie entered. "Hey, guys," he said, tossing his duffel on his bed. They looked at him, snapped the magazine shut and filed out the door. "Guys?" He stuck his head out the door. "That's strange." He put his things away and then left himself, in search of Rosy. He found her sitting on a bench talking to a girl who was in their Breeding Essentials class. She took one look at Jamie and wordlessly left. "Shannon," Rosy called after her. Shannon shot back a burning glance.  
  
"Am I part of some private joke that I don't get," Jamie asked, frustrated.  
  
"I dunno," Rosy replied. "That's strange. I've never seen her act like that before. Anyway, sit," she commanded. He swept some snow off the bench and sat next to her. "My daddy told me you came to my house during break," she said, smiling.  
  
"Yea, well," Jamie said.  
  
"It's cool. I like it when people think of me like that," she said, her dark eyes shining. "Especially you."  
  
Jamie smiled. "Can I walk you to Apricorn Carving tomorrow," he asked.  
  
"Sure." She got up. "I still have to unpack, but I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Jamie got up the next day in plenty of time to walk Rosy to her class. They talked about what they did over break on the way. They reached the room where her class was. He opened the door for her. The class suddenly exploded with laughter. Jamie could hear things like, "Son of Team Rocket!" "His parents not only failed the exit exam, they scored zero!" "How did he get in here?  
  
In the center of it all was Dallas Oak, waving his arms like a conductor among the noise. Jamie felt all his blood drain to his feet. He was frozen. What on earth are they talking about, he asked himself.  
  
Rosy burst forward. "What are you doing, Dallas," she shouted. "That isn't true. None of it is!"  
  
"You mean his parents lied to him too," he retorted. "There ya go, you can add another one to his rap sheet." The class roared.  
  
A blur of red hair charged into Dallas. Jamie had reached his boiling point. He knocked Dallas to the floor and started pummeling his face. The students crowded around, screaming. Rosy shouted over the bedlam for Jamie to stop. But he was too far gone to hear anything except for Dallas' facial bones breaking and him screaming in pain.  
  
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ENTEI IS GOING ON HERE," the headmaster yelled suddenly. All the students froze. Jamie looked at the looming mountain of authority over him. He grabbed his ear roughly and pulled him into his office. "Someone call an ambulance for this boy," he called over his shoulder.  
  
The headmaster stared at Jamie with eyes of fire. "I should have known you would do this," he raged. "I'm an idiot for accepting a proposal from Team Rocket. Nevertheless, you cannot continue here. Your education here is over. No one from the Fauntleroy family nor the Lewiston family will ever be admitted here again, thanks to you. Your parents have been called. Go into the bathroom and wash yourself off." He slammed the door.  
  
It's all a lie, a goddamned lie, he thought, wiping Dallas' blood off his face. He looked in the mirror. It's just like Dallas to pull this crap. He realized what he had done. God, I could have killed him. I just couldn't control myself. His hands shook. He started to cry hysterically. Oh, God, Rosy, he thought. She's probably terrified of me now. He sank to the floor, his hands covering his face. His tears mingled with the blood. "Jamie? Jamie," his mother's voice rang out.  
  
"Mom," he cried, falling into her arms. He sobbed.  
  
She looked at the blood smeared on his face. "Jamie, what happened," she asked. "Why did you beat that other boy up?"  
  
He could barely talk in between sobs. "He said horrible things about me, and you," he choked. "That you and Dad were failures, and that I was the son of Team Rocket. Mom, what are they talking about?"  
  
Jessie's heart broke in two. She sobbed with her son. James caught up with her. He embraced them tightly. "Mom, it's all a lie, I know it is," Jamie cried.  
  
Jessie shook her head, sobs shaking her whole body. "No, Jamie, it's not."  
  
He drew back. "What?" His deep green eyes were puffed from crying. The blood was dried on his face now. He looked so hurt and betrayed.  
  
"It's all true," she said. "Dad and I were members of Team Rocket for a long time. We were even CEO's before you were born. We failed the exit exam with scores of zero. We were going to tell you when you were older. We quit to make a good life for you, Jamie." She turned away from her baby. She could see his heart breaking right in front of her.  
  
"Dad," he asked shakily. James nodded slowly, tears pouring down his face.  
  
"All my life has been a lie," Jamie said quietly. He screamed and ran out the door into the snow. He fell to his knees and pounded the snow, screaming all the while. His parents followed him. "Come on, Jamie, let's go home," James said gently.  
  
"I hate you," Jamie screamed back. "Don't touch me! I never want to see you again! I wish I'd never been born!" He got up and ran as far away as he could.  
  
"Jamie," Jessie called after him. They chased him into Cerulean City, combed the streets, but to no avail. They returned home to Azalea and had the police look for him. Months passed, and still no sign of him. No word, nothing. James saw his wife crying, looking at his school picture one day. "He'll come home someday," he assured.  
  
"But when," she asked. "We could have lost our baby forever. This is all our fault."  
  
James held her tight. "Someday, he'll come home." 


End file.
